In the Zone

This is it. The last stop at Thanksgiving before we board the express train to Christmastown. It seems like every year as a culture we hop on the Christmas train earlier and earlier. We just can't wait to get past Halloween so we can get to Christmas music, Christmas shopping, and Christmas traditions. In doing so, we trample on the one day that is still reserved for giving thanks to the Lord for his blessings. I want to take a few days to stop and reflect on the many blessings God has provided my family and I. He has provided jobs and food and shelter. I have salvation thanks to the Lord. I have the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am thankful for that too. I'm also thankful for the local church. It's a place where I can worship God freely. It provides a sense of family when I live far away from my own. They are willing to help at a moments notice. They have a heart to see people come to know Jesus. In 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Paul writes his greeting to ...

Have you heard the story of the Lawn Chair Pilot? In 1982, Larry Walters, in an attempt to fly, tied 45 weather balloons, filled with helium, to his regular, run-of-the-mill lawn chair. He soon soared to 16,000 feet in the air, disrupting traffic patterns at Long Beach Airport, and caused a 20-minute blackout as he descended into some power lines. It is often hailed as a tale of achieving your dreams and accomplishing what you set your mind to. It is an inspiring story. However, it has a tragic ending. Walters never made any more off his endeavor. He had a bit of fleeting fame. He appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Late Night Show with David Letterman. He tried his hand at being a motivational speaker, but it never panned out. With his fine and costs for the equipment, he never even broke even until he appeared in a Timex ad in 1992.  A year later, disillusioned with his life, he committed suicide in the Angeles National Forest. Larry Walters did some...